Students will have an additional learning opportunity this summer with the introduction of Maymester.

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is set to offer 10 three-credit courses from May 20 to June 10. The Maymester starts the same day as the first summer session, so students can sign up with the same system as they would for any other summer courses.

The course will have students meet every day for three weeks for about three hours. 

This new term is designated to attract students who have other plans for the summer, such as study abroad, that prevent them from enrolling in summer semesters.

Maymester officials chose CHASS to pilot the program because it tends to have the highest summer session enrollment rates and is most attractive to students, according to Victoria Gallagher, associate dean of academic affairs in CHASS.

Professors planning to teach during this time are already preparing. They had to go through peer review and condense their workload while still maintaining the vigor and the content. 

“It will be very intensive because [students] are doing the equivalent of 15 weeks of class in three weeks,” Gallagher said. “That means that every day is like one week in a regular semester.”

Professors have to adapt their syllabi because of the shortened time, Gallagher said.

For the Study of Great Works of Western Literature course, students will read short stories and poetry instead of novels.

For a graduate level course, they will visit Washington D.C. for a week and talk to public historians and museum officials.  

A psychology class will be half lecture, and for the other half, students will go out to a site and use the knowledge they have just learned.

It also allows for new courses to be added, like a class about aging.

“The way that faculty have to think about ‘how will I teach this course,’ they really had to take some time and be reviewed by their peers before they could be a part of the Maymester,” Gallagher said. 

Liz Moomey

Staff Writer

Students will have an additional learning opportunity this summer with the introduction of Maymester.

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is set to offer 10 three-credit courses from May 20 to June 10. The Maymester starts the same day as the first summer session, so students can sign up with the same system as they would for any other summer courses.

The course will have students meet every day for three weeks for about three hours. 

This new term is designated to attract students who have other plans for the summer, such as study abroad, that prevent them from enrolling in summer semesters.

Maymester officials chose CHASS to pilot the program because it tends to have the highest summer session enrollment rates and is most attractive to students, according to Victoria Gallagher, associate dean of academic affairs in CHASS.

Professors planning to teach during this time are already preparing. They had to go through peer review and condense their workload while still maintaining the vigor and the content. 

“It will be very intensive because [students] are doing the equivalent of 15 weeks of class in three weeks,” Gallagher said. “That means that every day is like one week in a regular semester.”

Professors have to adapt their syllabi because of the shortened time, Gallagher said.

For the Study of Great Works of Western Literature course, students will read short stories and poetry instead of novels.

For a graduate level course, they will visit Washington D.C. for a week and talk to public historians and museum officials.  

A psychology class will be half lecture, and for the other half, students will go out to a site and use the knowledge they have just learned.

It also allows for new courses to be added, like a class about aging.

“The way that faculty have to think about ‘how will I teach this course,’ they really had to take some time and be reviewed by their peers before they could be a part of the Maymester,” Gallagher said. 

After the pilot is completed, the Office of Summer Sessions plans to assess it and see if they want to incorporate the Maymester to other colleges and add courses to the CHASS Maymester.

According to Gallagher, they have been preparing for this session by getting the word out to students at N.C. State as well as students at other universities, and faculty are continuing to develop their courses with resources.

The classes will have ten to 20 people and will only be offered lecture style. 

After the pilot is completed, the Office of Summer Sessions plans to assess it and see if they want to incorporate the Maymester to other colleges and add courses to the CHASS Maymester.

According to Gallagher, they have been preparing for this session by getting the word out to students at N.C. State as well as students at other universities, and faculty are continuing to develop their courses with resources.

The classes will have ten to 20 people and will only be offered lecture style.